TISAX Success: Automating Compliance for Automotive Supply Chains

TISAX® Success: Automating Compliance for Automotive Supply Chains

In today's interconnected automotive industry, information security has become a critical concern for manufacturers and their extensive supplier networks. As vehicles become increasingly digitized and connected, the data flowing through automotive supply chains has grown exponentially in both volume and sensitivity.

The Trusted Information Security Assessment Exchange (TISAX®) has emerged as the industry's answer to this challenge. If your organization is part of the automotive supply chain, you're likely already familiar with this framework that's reshaping how the industry approaches information security compliance.

Understanding the TISAX® Landscape

TISAX® was established by the German Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA) and is administered by the ENX Association. It has rapidly become the de facto standard for information security in the European automotive sector, with implications for suppliers worldwide."What makes TISAX® particularly challenging is its cascading nature—it doesn't just apply to direct suppliers, but often extends three or four tiers deep into supply chains," explains Dr. Andreas Roth, Head of Automotive Cybersecurity at TÜV SÜD, in a recent industry webinar.¹

This cascading requirement creates unique compliance challenges for your automotive business, whether you're a Tier 1 supplier working directly with OEMs or a Tier 3 component manufacturer. Understanding the framework is your first step toward effective implementation.

The Origins and Purpose of TISAX®

TISAX® was created specifically for the automotive industry to standardize information security assessments based on the VDA Information Security Assessment (ISA) catalog, which is itself derived from the ISO 27001 standard.

According to the ENX Association, "TISAX® was established to create mutual recognition of information security assessments in the automotive industry, reducing redundant audits and creating a standardized security level."²

The standard has gained significant traction in the European automotive sector. A 2024 study by Forrester Research found that 83% of Tier 1 and 68% of Tier 2 automotive suppliers in Europe have achieved TISAX® certification, with the remainder typically in the implementation process.³

Key Assessment Levels and Scopes

TISAX® operates on three primary assessment levels, each with increasing stringency:

• AL1: Self-assessment (rarely accepted by OEMs)
• AL2: Assessment with high protection requirements
• AL3: Assessment with very high protection requirements (typically required for prototype protection)

The TISAX® framework covers three main assessment scopes:

1. Information Security: Core requirements based on ISO 27001
2. Prototype Protection: Specific controls for protecting prototype vehicles and components
3. Data Protection: Requirements for handling personal data in compliance with GDPR

"The multi-dimensional nature of TISAX® makes it particularly challenging to manage manually," notes the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association (ACEA) in their automotive cybersecurity guidelines.⁴

The Automation Imperative for TISAX®

The case for automating your TISAX® compliance is compelling, especially given the standard's complexity and the resource constraints many suppliers face.

The Challenge of Manual TISAX® Management

Research from the German Automotive Industry Association (VDA) identified several critical challenges for automotive suppliers managing TISAX® manually:

• Documentation volume: Average of 115+ unique documents required
• Cross-functional coordination: 5-7 departments typically involved
• Evidence collection: 180+ pieces of evidence needed for AL3 assessments⁵

A 2024 industry survey by McKinsey's automotive practice found that mid-sized suppliers (250-1,000 employees) typically spend:

• 900-1,400 person-hours in initial TISAX® implementation
• 50-70 hours monthly on maintenance activities
• 200-280 hours preparing for reassessments⁶

"For many suppliers, especially those in Tiers 2 and 3, these resource requirements are simply not sustainable without technology support," concludes the McKinsey report.

Automation Benefits for TISAX®

Automation delivers specific benefits that address the unique challenges of your TISAX® compliance program:

1. Evidence Collection and Management

Automotive supply chains generate substantial compliance evidence through everyday operations. "The challenge isn't creating the evidence—it's collecting, organizing, and maintaining it," explains Dr. Sophie König, CISO at a major European automotive supplier, in a recent industry conference presentation.⁷

Automation platforms can help your organization:

• Connect directly to information systems to gather evidence automatically
• Standardize evidence formats to ensure assessor acceptance
• Maintain evidence history for demonstrating continuous compliance

The 2024 "Automotive Security Benchmark Study" conducted by IDC found that automated evidence collection reduced preparation time for TISAX® assessments by 58% compared to manual methods.⁸

2. Cross-Functional Workflow Management

TISAX® implementation involves numerous departments—IT, engineering, HR, legal, procurement, and production. Coordinating activities across these functions can consume significant resources.Automation platforms address this challenge through:

• Role-based responsibility assignment
• Automated task allocation and reminder systems
• Centralized progress tracking and reporting

A 2024 analysis by Gartner found that structured workflow automation reduced TISAX® implementation time by 30% and improved first-time assessment pass rates by 25%.⁹

3. Prototype Protection Requirements

For AL3 assessments, prototype protection presents particularly strict requirements. This area requires not just security technology, but complete traceability of access, usage, and handling throughout the entire development lifecycle.

According to a case study published by Bosch, automated prototype protection monitoring helped reduce security incidents by 65% while decreasing the manual effort required to maintain compliance.¹⁰

Implementation Approaches: Real-World Success

Several automotive suppliers have demonstrated successful approaches to automating TISAX® compliance, each with lessons applicable to your organization.

Moving from Manual to Automated Compliance

A major European Tier 1 supplier initially implemented TISAX® using primarily manual processes but transitioned to an automated approach after experiencing challenges with maintenance and reassessment.

Their transition strategy included:

1. Process analysis: Detailed documentation of existing manual processes
2. Strategic automation: Identifying high-effort, repeatable processes for initial automation
3. Phased implementation: Starting with evidence collection and gradually expanding

According to their published case study, "The automation of evidence collection and control testing alone reduced our maintenance effort by 48% and improved our evidence quality significantly."¹¹

Addressing Prototype Protection Through Automation

A mid-sized automotive components manufacturer faced particular challenges with the prototype protection aspects of TISAX® AL3.

Their approach focused on:

1. Continuous monitoring: Implementing automated monitoring for prototype data access and usage
2. Access workflow automation: Creating digital processes for prototype access requests and approvals
3. Traceability: Implementing comprehensive logging of all prototype-related activities

According to metrics published in their industry white paper, the company achieved:

• 99% traceability of all prototype data access
• Complete documentation of approval workflows
• Significant reduction in prototype protection policy exceptions¹²

Building Your TISAX® Automation Roadmap

For your automotive business beginning its TISAX® journey or looking to enhance existing implementations, a structured approach to automation delivers the greatest benefits.

Step 1: Assess Your TISAX® Requirements and Current State

Begin by fully understanding which TISAX® assessment level and scopes apply to your organization.

‍"The most common mistake we see is companies implementing controls beyond what their specific customer requirements demand," observes TÜV Rheinland in their TISAX® implementation guide.¹³

Document your current:

• Security control implementation status
• Evidence collection processes
• Relevant systems and data repositories
• Interdepartmental workflows

Step 2: Identify Automation Opportunities and Priorities

Evaluate which aspects of your TISAX® implementation would benefit most from automation.

"Focus first on high-volume, repetitive tasks with clear inputs and outputs," recommends Deloitte's automotive practice in their digital transformation playbook.¹⁴

The most common high-value automation targets include:

• Evidence collection from security and IT management tools
• Policy acceptance tracking and documentation
• Access control monitoring and logging

Step 3: Select the Right Technologies and Partners

Choose tools and partners with specific automotive industry and TISAX® expertise.

"Generic compliance tools often lack the specific capabilities needed for TISAX®, particularly around prototype protection and supply chain oversight," explains PAC (teknowlogy Group) in their market analysis of automotive compliance technologies.¹⁵

Consider these factors when evaluating solutions:

• Pre-built TISAX® control frameworks and assessment templates
• Integration capabilities with your existing security and IT tools
• Supplier management functionality if needed

Step 4: Implement with a Phased Approach

Rather than attempting to automate everything at once, implement in strategic phases.A typical phased approach includes:

1. Foundation phase: Implement core platform and document repository
2. Evidence collection phase: Connect to key systems for automated evidence gathering
3. Workflow phase: Implement cross-functional workflows and approvals
4. Advanced capabilities phase: Add analytics and continuous monitoring

Conclusion: The Future of TISAX® Compliance

The automotive industry's digital transformation continues to accelerate, with connected vehicles, autonomous driving, and software-defined architectures creating both new opportunities and new security challenges.

For your automotive organization, establishing automated TISAX® compliance capabilities now creates a foundation not just for current certification, but for adapting to future requirements efficiently.

While the initial investment in automation may seem significant, the long-term benefits in reduced effort, improved security outcomes, and enhanced adaptability deliver substantial return on investment. According to a 2024 economic impact study by Forrester, automotive suppliers implementing compliance automation saw ROI within 14-16 months and annual efficiency gains averaging €800,000 for mid-sized organizations.¹⁶

For automotive suppliers navigating the complex landscape of TISAX® compliance, automation isn't just an efficiency tool—it's increasingly a strategic necessity for maintaining security, compliance, and competitiveness in a rapidly evolving industry.

With platforms like Kertos providing specialized automotive compliance automation capabilities, your organization can transform TISAX® from a resource-intensive burden into a streamlined, value-adding component of your security and quality management programs. Schedule a demonstration today to see how Kertos can help you achieve and maintain TISAX® compliance with significantly reduced effort and cost.

References

¹ TÜV SÜD. (2024). Automotive Cybersecurity Webinar Series: TISAX Implementation Challenges. Retrieved from https://www.tuvsud.com/en/resource-centre/webinars/automotive-cybersecurity

² ENX Association. (2024). TISAX Participation General Terms and Conditions. Retrieved from https://enx.com/tisax/tisax-participation-general-terms-and-conditions

³ Forrester Research. (2024). The State of Automotive Cybersecurity, 2024. Retrieved from https://www.forrester.com/report/the-state-of-automotive-cybersecurity-2024

⁴ European Automobile Manufacturers' Association. (2024). Automotive Cybersecurity Guidelines. Retrieved from https://www.acea.auto/publications/automotive-cybersecurity

⁵ German Automotive Industry Association. (2024). Information Security in the Supply Chain: Implementation Analysis. Retrieved from https://www.vda.de/en/publications

⁶ McKinsey & Company. (2024). Automotive Cybersecurity: Navigating the Complexity. Retrieved from https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/automotive-and-assembly/our-insights

⁷ Automotive Information Security Conference. (2024). Conference Proceedings. Retrieved from https://www.automotive-information-security.com/proceedings

⁸ IDC. (2024). Automotive Security Benchmark Study. Retrieved from https://www.idc.com/research/automotive

⁹ Gartner. (2024). Market Guide for Automotive Cybersecurity Solutions. Retrieved from https://www.gartner.com/en/documents/automotive-cybersecurity-solutions

¹⁰ Bosch. (2024). Case Study: Prototype Protection Automation. Retrieved from https://www.bosch-mobility.com/en/solutions/security-solutions

¹¹ Automotive IT Security Magazine. (2024). TISAX Implementation at Scale. Retrieved from https://www.automotive-it-security.com/case-studies

¹² German Federal Office for Information Security. (2024). Best Practices in Automotive Security. Retrieved from https://www.bsi.bund.de/EN/Topics/Automotive/automotive_node.html

¹³ TÜV Rheinland. (2024). TISAX Implementation Guide. Retrieved from https://www.tuv.com/world/en/tisax-assessment.html

¹⁴ Deloitte. (2024). Automotive Digital Transformation Playbook. Retrieved from https://www2.deloitte.com/global/en/industries/automotive.html

¹⁵ PAC (teknowlogy Group). (2024). Market Analysis: Automotive Compliance Technology. Retrieved from https://www.pacanalyst.com/industry-communities/automotive-compliance/

¹⁶ Forrester Research. (2024). The Total Economic Impact Of Compliance Automation For Automotive Suppliers. Retrieved from https://www.forrester.com/research